Response to Black Girl

            In the film “Black Girl” I noticed that Sembene liked to emphasize his true feelings on be controlled or used. In the article it said he was against sexism, poverty, and inequality. He focused a lot on these areas in the film itself. He used Diouna to represent the treatment of black women by Caucasian peoples. He made the Caucasians seem harsh and demeaning towards her which is understandable considering the time period. He was excellent at emphasizing the problems that still existed after all the political changes that were occurring at the time. He made his anti-racist viewpoint very obvious by showing how little blacks had even if they worked for white people. He showed African poverty and even showed poverty in the letter that Diouna’s mom wrote.

            The mask itself seemed to portray more than one thing in the movie. I believe it started out to mean a certain thing but ended up meaning something entirely different at the end. I would assume it had something to do with her no longer having to hide herself fat the beginning. The white people were opening doors for her and she felt excited and accepted. This made her gift the mask to them for allowing her to have new experiences outside of her normal life. Later on in the film she became angry, upset, and frustrated with her lack of freedom. She felt used and hidden from the world. A mask is used to hide a face, and now she herself was hidden. By taking back the mask, she took back what was right hers; her life. At the very end of the movie the little boy is chasing the white man while wearing the mask. I think it symbolizes being haunted by the negative or bad things that he has done in regards to Diouna. He will never be able to forget her suicide or that image of being followed by the mask.

            In regards to the suicide Diouna committed, I was shocked to say the least. I felt like instead of trying to make a point she just simply gave up. She did not want to deal with her mother after the letter arrived, she did not want to deal with the Caucasian family, and she did not want to deal with finding new work if she returned home. I believe she was just too exhausted and overwhelmed with pressure that she snapped. Yes it did make a point by saying “hey, you clean up my mess this time,” but I think it was more than that. She was tired of it all and needed to escape. That was the only way she felt she could get out. The film itself did not do a good job leading into the suicide but it was an older film.